Taunting the Western media for streaming the ‘invasion date’ as February 16 when Russia might invade Ukraine, Maria Zakharova, Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, said she would like to plan her holidays if the US and UK could endorse the timeline of Russia’s “imminent invasions.”
“I’d like to ask if US and British sources of disinformation … could publish the schedule of our upcoming invasions for the year. I’d like to plan my holidays,” Zakharova wrote on social media.
Western acumen had alerted that Moscow could pick Wednesday to proliferate running separatist dispute in Ukraine, after building up a force evaluation at more than 100,000 troops near the borders. They said, nonetheless, that the date could be part of a Russian disinformation strive. Some media, citing intelligence reports, described Russian attacks could kick start early Wednesday dawning.
“The night passed as usual. We slept peacefully. In the morning we started the day calmly and professionally,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. When wanted to clarify if Kremlin had been in touch with representatives from the other nations in the sunup time, he confirmed that they are not used to contact with foreign countries at night.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, after a talk with his US counterpart Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the eve of the claimed date, said reports of invasion timing had erupted confusion among officials. “I wouldn’t say it amuses us, but of course it leaves us deeply perplexed,” Lavrov said.
In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky had declared a “Day of Unity” on Wednesday during which the military staged drills and in Kyiv hundreds of civilians marched in a stadium with a big national banner.
Meanwhile, NATO accused Russia of sending more troops to a massive military build-up around Ukraine, even as Moscow said that it was withdrawing forces and was open to diplomacy.
The first two days of talks among NATO defence ministers, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg seems to be unconvinced the destruction of a Russian invasion of Ukraine had lessened and voiced guarded hopes for diplomacy. “We have not seen any withdrawal of Russian forces. And of course, that contradicts the message of diplomatic efforts,” Stoltenberg said.
